President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged youth across the country to embrace the handshake principle.
Uhuru on Monday said this is the only way the youth can reach out to one another despite their ethnicity or political affiliation.
Speaking during the launch of the ‘Kenya ni Mimi’ youth initiative, Uhuru said a time has come for young people to shun politics of handouts that has resulted in electoral violence over the years.
He said young people must come on board and challenge their leaders to bring development ideas that can uplift their livelihoods instead of relying on handouts.
“Where we are headed as a country is about young people, their lives right now and in years to come. We’re not going to say that we are going to fix Kenya by a single document or by a single administration and that is why we’re saying that this handshake principle needs to take root to allow young people be involved in it,” Uhuru said.
“You must be able to reach out to each other regardless of your ethnicity, regardless of your political affiliation to ensure that your agenda takes center stage now and into the future.”
Uhuru said the building of a nation is a continuous endeavour that requires every generation to make their contribution.
“When we talk of the principle of the handshake it is not just a political philosophy but rather an articulation of basic African truce that our forefathers had that indeed we can compete, without being enemies and that in our diversity, we are still one people,” he said.
He added, “We all love our motherland and all we want is the best for Kenya and the best for her people. So this doctrine that we’re talking about, reconciling with your opponents for the sake of Kenya, every time the contest is over is about putting Kenya first above any partisan ethnic or other identifiers, one Kenya for all Kenyans”.
Uhuru said the youth are the custodians not only of today but the future prosperity of the country to sustain the pride of any nation.
He said the young people must be empowered to step in at the right moment and to move on with the task of nation-building.
According to the head of state, the key aspect of empowerment starts with the love for the country.
“Being patriotic young men and women of integrity is not to allow yourself to be bought at the expense of your country and be disciples of zero tolerance to corruption,” he said.
He said for years young people have been perceived as voting machines where they come out to vote but at the end of the day for one reason or other because of disagreements of those whom they voted for end up in a situation where violence erupts against the community.
“Not because there is a difference between you who voted this way and your colleague who voted another way but because those who you voted for are not satisfied,” he said.
“We cannot continue to live that way, we must find a way of coming together and ask ourselves what is this that breeds pressure especially in our young people,” Uhuru said.
Uhuru said the talk about inclusion should not be mistaken with the inclusion of political leaders.
“We are talking about inclusion and communities to feel included, young people being included, women feeling that they are included and that’s why the one-third agenda came from,” he said.